When you hear the word “sugar,” you probably think of that sparkly white stuff in the covered bowl on your breakfast table. But sugar is called by many names and if you have diabetes, knowing those names may be the key to good control.

My patients often ask why there are carbohydrates in meat like frankfurters, bologna, or other processed meats. Or why their blood glucose levels are higher than usual after eating these foods. Hidden sugar is usually the cause.

Often times, food manufactures list these ingredients using unfamiliar terms, but with a little detective work you can find hidden carbs in your food. Carbs are important to monitor because the body breaks them down into sugar, raising your blood sugar levels.

Renée M. Simpson, RDN, a California based registered dietitian says, “Reading the nutrition label is always a good way to find hidden sugars.”

It’s also important to bear in mind that your body can’t tell the difference between sugars.

“All of these [hidden sugars] are sweeteners, and they will all affect the blood sugar just as any other sweetener would,” says Simpson.

So let’s look at the different names you might find in an ingredient list – all of which mean “sugar.”

Brown sugar

Brown sugar is a combination of white sugar and molasses, which gives it a soft texture. Brown sugar comes in two varieties – light and dark. Light brown sugar has a delicate flavor contrasted by the more intense molasses flavor found in dark brown sugar. Light or dark, one tablespoon of brown sugar gives you 13.5g carbs and 52 calories.

Carob powder

Carob powder is made from the pulp of the tropical carob tree. Carob is often used as a chocolate substitute because it tastes similar to chocolate. Other than the ingredients listed on a label, carob powder may be found in natural food and specialty food stores. One tablespoon of carob powder provides 10.5g carbs and 24 calories.

Confectioners’ sugar

Confectioners’ sugar, also called powdered sugar, is granulated sugar that has been crushed into a fine powder. It is often used to make icings and candy. It’s also used as a dusting on desserts. One tablespoon of confectioners’ sugar will give you 7.5g carbs and 29 calories.

Corn syrup

Not to be confused with high fructose corn syrup, corn syrup is a thick, sweet syrup created by processing cornstarch with acids or enzymes. Corn syrup is available light or dark. Light corn syrup has all the color and cloudiness removed; dark corn syruphas caramel flavor and coloring added to it. One tablespoon of corn syrup has 15.5g carbs and 57 calories.

Fructose

A tablespoon of granulated fructose has about the same number of calories and carbs as a tablespoon of granulated sugar, but fructose is almost twice as sweet. Fructose is naturally occurring in fruits and honey. You may also see it noted in the ingredient list as fruit sugar or levulose. One tablespoon of fructose, fruit sugar or levulose has 12.6g carbs and 46 calories.

High-fructose corn syrup

High-fructose corn syrup “is a very inexpensive sweetener that is used by manufacturers often to intensify the sweetness of the product,” says Simpson. It is no different than honey, sucrose or fruit juice concentrate when it comes to diabetes. They will all turn to glucose in your blood stream. One tablespoon of high-fructose corn syrup has 14.4 carbs and 53 calories.

Honey

Honey is a thick sweet liquid made by bees from the nectar of flowers. Sweeter than white sugar, honey is often touted as being a natural sweetener. Weighing in at 17.3g carbs and 64 calories per tablespoon, honey has more carbs and calories than high-fructose corn syrup!

Molasses

Molasses is the dark, sweet syrup remaining after sugar has been squeezed from sugar cane or sugar beets. Molasses can vary in color and flavor depending on how much sugar has been extracted. Light molasses is lighter in flavor and color. Dark molasses is thicker and less sweet than light molasses. Blackstrap molasses is very thick, dark and has a somewhat bitter taste. One tablespoon of molasses has 14.9g carbs and 58 calories.

Raw sugar and turbinado

Raw sugar is the residue left after sugarcane has been processed to remove molasses and refine the sugar crystals. Because raw sugar may contain contaminants such as molds, 100 percent raw sugar is not available in the United States. However, turbinado sugar, which is raw sugar that has been steam-cleaned is available. One tablespoon of turbinado or raw sugar has 15g carbs and 60 calories.

Rapadura

Rapadura is an unrefined sugar, produced by evaporating the water from organic sugar cane juice. Unlike other sugars, rapadura is not separated from the molasses part of the sugar cane during processing. Organic Rapadura is made from organically grown sugar cane. Organic or not, it’s still sugar and one tablespoon of has 12g carbs and 45 calories.

Sucanat

“Sucanat stands for SUgar CAne NATural, meaning that it is a product made from organic sugar,” says Simpson. “It still contains the natural molasses found in unrefined sugar.” Unlike regular brown sugar, sucanat is grainy, has a darker color and tends to taste like molasses. One tablespoon provides 12g carbs and 45 calories.

A whole industry has grown up around freeing diabetics to lead less restricted lives. Tubeless insulin pumps, a needleless blood-glucose monitoring system, and diabetic-friendly frozen foods are among the innovations helping people with the metabolic disorder to live lives on the go.

With the number of diabetics growing worldwide – 246 million at last count, according to the World Health Organization – businesses are motivated. In 2011, diabetes therapeutic products were a $23.7 billion dollar industry feeding a growing population that’s starving for a better quality of life, says Chef Robert Lewis, “The Happy Diabetic,” author of two cookbooks for people with the metabolic disorder.

“It wasn’t long ago that Type 1 diabetics had to be sure they packed ample sterile syringes and insulin, whether they were going to work for the day or on a road trip,” he says. “Monitoring blood sugar levels, which is crucial to keeping vital organs healthy, was painful, primitive and hit-or-miss.

“And food? That’s been the hardest. A diabetes diagnosis can feel like a life sentence of bland eating.”

Among the “firsts” Lewis says diabetics can look forward to:

• The first tubeless insulin pump. Thirty years ago, people with insulin-dependent diabetes had to give themselves shots around the clock to control their blood sugar levels. In some cases, diabetics were hospitalized to ensure they got the insulin necessary to prevent ketoacidosis, a condition that can lead to coma and death. In 1983, the insulin pump was introduced. It attaches to the body and provides continuous insulin injections. But while it was a major breakthrough, it can be bulky and awkward, with a dangling catheter. The most recent innovation is a streamlined version called the OmniPod. It has no tubes, it’s smaller and it attaches anywhere on the body with adhesive. It also has a built-in glucose-monitoring system.

• The first needleless glucometer. The Symphony tCGM System uses ultrasound to monitor blood-sugar levels, which will free people from the painful pricks needed to get a small blood sample for testing multiple times a day. The device, which attaches with adhesive to the body, continuously tracks glucose levels day and night and can send the readings to your smart phone. Under development for more than a decade, Symphony is undergoing the studies necessary to win regulatory approval.

• The first diabetic-friendly frozen meals. Meals-in-a-Bun (www.lifestylechefs.net) are low on the glycemic index, low in sugar and carbs, high in soluble fiber, low in trans fat, high in lean protein and low in sodium, Lewis says. “And the best thing is, they are delicious.” The five varieties – two vegan and three vegetarian – include selections like Thai Satay, mushrooms, broccoli and tofu in whole-wheat flax bun. “This is particularly exciting because, while there have been advances in equipment that makes life easier for diabetics, there haven’t been for convenient, packaged foods.”

Diabetics who do not watch what they eat may wind up suffering kidney damage, stomach problems, heart disease, pneumonia, gum disease, blindness, stroke, nerve damage, complications during pregnancy, loss of limb and other health problems, according to the CDC.

But many Americans are trending toward healthier diets, eating less meat, gluten, salt and sugar, Lewis says. Tasty foods developed for diabetics will be excellent choices for them, too.

“What’s good for diabetics is good for everyone,” he says. “And you don’t have to give up one teaspoon of flavor.

“There’s a reason why I am called ‘The Happy Diabetic’; I have discovered the joy of nutrition-rich food.”